For me Gay Deceivers is a film that badly shows it's age. I think "The New Normal" was a pretty progressive TV show with great characters, too bad it got cancelled.

The Al Pacino film "Cruising" received a ton of protests from the gay community during filming and it's very understable why as the film comes as rather offensive with it's portrayals of sterotypes.

Thu Jan 30, 2014 6:38 pm

JJoshay

Second Unit Director

Joined: Mon Oct 08, 2012 6:56 pmPosts: 263

Re: Stupid Movie Protests

KWRoss wrote:

Jeff Wilder wrote:

Precious: The backlash against it on the grounds that it depicted stereotypes. It didn't say that all black fathers are child molesters or that all darker skinned black people are overweight, steal fried chicken, eat pigs feet etc.

I was discussing this backlash once with a black female friend and she didn't understand it either. I wondered aloud why the people that were up in arms over this weren't screaming bloody murder at Soul Plane, a hideous attempt at a comedy that trafficked in these stereotypes and really was offensive. She agreed and pointed out that she felt the same way about "Don't Be A Menace".

Yup, the PRECIOUS backlash never made any sense whatsoever to me. People need to remember that when a movie depicts one particular character's life in a certain manner, that doesn't mean it's making sweeping generalizations about an entire race of people.

My problem with Precious wasn't just its use of stereotypes but its straight faced, Oscarbaiting sense of self importance while employing them. Such a serious slog through territory handled with no nuance or subtlety. The horrors pile on as if a sign should be held up in the background prodding "Betcha thought it couldn't that much worse in the ghetto, huh?" until the one truly multidimensional and complex scene at the end between Precious and her mother, just to whither away because virtually none of it was earned (and apparently the blacker you are in the movie the farther you live into the projects). Out of all the films to be made about how hard life can be in the streets, Precious is so improperly managed it begs the question of whether we needed it in the first place and remains the reason I've been hesitant about The Butler.

_________________Never take a forum signature too seriously, even this one.

Thu Jan 30, 2014 7:47 pm

Vexer

Auteur

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 12:02 pmPosts: 3850Location: Zion, IL

Re: Stupid Movie Protests

JJoshay wrote:

KWRoss wrote:

Jeff Wilder wrote:

Precious: The backlash against it on the grounds that it depicted stereotypes. It didn't say that all black fathers are child molesters or that all darker skinned black people are overweight, steal fried chicken, eat pigs feet etc.

I was discussing this backlash once with a black female friend and she didn't understand it either. I wondered aloud why the people that were up in arms over this weren't screaming bloody murder at Soul Plane, a hideous attempt at a comedy that trafficked in these stereotypes and really was offensive. She agreed and pointed out that she felt the same way about "Don't Be A Menace".

Yup, the PRECIOUS backlash never made any sense whatsoever to me. People need to remember that when a movie depicts one particular character's life in a certain manner, that doesn't mean it's making sweeping generalizations about an entire race of people.

My problem with Precious wasn't just its use of stereotypes but its straight faced, Oscarbaiting sense of self importance while employing them. Such a serious slog through territory handled with no nuance or subtlety. The horrors pile on as if a sign should be held up in the background prodding "Betcha thought it couldn't that much worse in the ghetto, huh?" until the one truly multidimensional and complex scene at the end between Precious and her mother, just to whither away because virtually none of it was earned (and apparently the blacker you are in the movie the farther you live into the projects). Out of all the films to be made about how hard life can be in the streets, Precious is so improperly managed it begs the question of whether we needed it in the first place and remains the reason I've been hesitant about The Butler.

My thoughts exactly, everything about that film just rang completely false, it was shamelessly manipulative to the point where it was impossible to take remotely seriously.

Precious: The backlash against it on the grounds that it depicted stereotypes. It didn't say that all black fathers are child molesters or that all darker skinned black people are overweight, steal fried chicken, eat pigs feet etc.

I was discussing this backlash once with a black female friend and she didn't understand it either. I wondered aloud why the people that were up in arms over this weren't screaming bloody murder at Soul Plane, a hideous attempt at a comedy that trafficked in these stereotypes and really was offensive. She agreed and pointed out that she felt the same way about "Don't Be A Menace".

Yup, the PRECIOUS backlash never made any sense whatsoever to me. People need to remember that when a movie depicts one particular character's life in a certain manner, that doesn't mean it's making sweeping generalizations about an entire race of people.

My problem with Precious wasn't just its use of stereotypes but its straight faced, Oscarbaiting sense of self importance while employing them. Such a serious slog through territory handled with no nuance or subtlety. The horrors pile on as if a sign should be held up in the background prodding "Betcha thought it couldn't that much worse in the ghetto, huh?" until the one truly multidimensional and complex scene at the end between Precious and her mother, just to whither away because virtually none of it was earned (and apparently the blacker you are in the movie the farther you live into the projects). Out of all the films to be made about how hard life can be in the streets, Precious is so improperly managed it begs the question of whether we needed it in the first place and remains the reason I've been hesitant about The Butler.

Hellfire, yeah! Precious! That's a film I've almost completely, sub-consciously erased from my mind. Like flashbacks of being tortured in Iraq or something.

But I agree, that film was basically The Passion of the Christ for the urban ghettos. Look, how much punishment, brutality and ill-will can one human being endure!

I appreciate that some films are meant to provoke; but fucking hell! This doesn't do that in the right way for my money

Without commenting on the technique of the film, I will say that I've lived in a couple sketchy neighborhoods and have seen and heard things to lead me to believe that Precious isn't terribly far-fetched. There is nothing false whatever about the notion of the parents who treat their children monstrously and the children who start out innocent but are probably damned to turn out like their parents.

Perhaps the most laudable thing about the movie was that they took a character who would be, at best, a minor or background character in any other movie and made her the main character. It empathized with someone outside the zone of archetypes that movies typically empathize with.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

Without commenting on the technique of the film, I will say that I've lived in a couple sketchy neighborhoods and have seen and heard things to lead me to believe that Precious isn't terribly far-fetched. There is nothing false whatever about the notion of the parents who treat their children monstrously and the children who start out innocent but are probably damned to turn out like their parents.

Perhaps the most laudable thing about the movie was that they took a character who would be, at best, a minor or background character in any other movie and made her the main character. It empathized with someone outside the zone of archetypes that movies typically empathize with.

I know life throws up plenty of hideous scenarios. A friend of mine used to be a social worker and can attest to this fact.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

My issue isn't the grimness, or even the abuse. It's that that's what is about.

_________________... because I'm a wild animal

Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:51 pm

Ken

Director

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:26 pmPosts: 1728

Re: Stupid Movie Protests

I'm a good word... guy.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

What's the word that feels like regret when you see a girl so beautiful you can't comprehend.

This happened in the Fish and Chip shop an hour ago

_________________... because I'm a wild animal

Fri Jan 31, 2014 2:57 pm

Ken

Director

Joined: Sun Oct 07, 2012 6:26 pmPosts: 1728

Re: Stupid Movie Protests

Sounds like wistfulness to me.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

Fri Jan 31, 2014 4:07 pm

JamesKunz

Critic

Joined: Wed Jul 29, 2009 9:35 amPosts: 6010Location: Easton, MD

Re: Stupid Movie Protests

NotHughGrant wrote:

Ken wrote:

I'm a good word... guy.

What's the word that feels like regret when you see a girl so beautiful you can't comprehend.

_________________The temptation is to like what you should like--not what you do like... another temptation is to come up with an interesting reason for liking it that may not actually be the reason you like it.

Without commenting on the technique of the film, I will say that I've lived in a couple sketchy neighborhoods and have seen and heard things to lead me to believe that Precious isn't terribly far-fetched. There is nothing false whatever about the notion of the parents who treat their children monstrously and the children who start out innocent but are probably damned to turn out like their parents.

Perhaps the most laudable thing about the movie was that they took a character who would be, at best, a minor or background character in any other movie and made her the main character. It empathized with someone outside the zone of archetypes that movies typically empathize with.

I never saw Precious, but my mom did. She herself worked in, well, sketchy school district herself at the time and specifically commented on how she had students whose lives were fairly well reflected in the movie.

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